Nigeria, Feb. 21 -- Fulham manager Marco Silva has confirmed that Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze will miss Sunday's Premier League trip to Sunderland AFC at the Stadium of Light, dealing a short-term setback to both club and country.

The Nigerian international picked up a minor calf issue during Fulham's heavy 3-0 defeat away to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, an outing that halted the Cottagers' recent momentum. As a precaution, Chukwueze was left out of Fulham's FA Cup victory over Stoke City, a match in which Silva opted to rotate heavily.

Only fellow Nigerian and Super Eagles regular Alex Iwobi featured among Fulham's usual starters, underlining Silva's intent to protect key players amid a demanding run of fixtures.

Sp...